Tongue-cleaning device



1936- J. GREENBERG 2,049,956

TONGUE CLEANING DEVI CE Filed March 18, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORNEY L/EROME f7. GREENBERG.

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TONGUE-CLEANING DEVICE Jerome H. Greenberg, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 1 8, 1935, Serial No. 11,550 5 Claims. (Cl. 128-304) This invention relates to a tongue-cleanin device.

An element of oral hygiene, whose importance is ever increasingly becoming recognized, is that of the removal from the mouth of the encrustation which forms, in many cases, upon the tongue. To do this apparently simple work requires consideration of the delicate character of the mucous membrane forming the tongue surface. Any member which, in functioning for such a purpose, would also injure the skin is, of course, practically worthless. Pointed edges are inherently dangerous, no matter how blunt they seemingly may be.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tongue-cleaning device the construction of which is such that it readily adapts itself to being made a part of a long shank as in the handle of the customary tooth-brush. The device includes a tongue-scraping element, the manner of the disposition of which, upon, or as a part of, such a shank, resulting in an element which permits scraping to be accomplished by movement of the shank and its associated tongue-scraping element laterally across, rather than longitudinally along, the tongue. By reason of such movement of the scraping member, its engagement with the tongue will be without any effect upon the mucous membrane in the nature of a cutting action. At the same time, the portion of the tongue effectiveiy acted upon by the scraper itself, at a single operation, is many times greater than that previously so explored at one movement of the {hand. The limits of such a device are determined by such incidental features as the length of handle necessarily left free to be gripped during manipulation of the tongue-scraping portion as well, of course, as the length of tongue which may be expected to be coated.

It is an object of the invention to provide, for conjunction with a tooth-brush having an elongated handle, a tongue-cleaning elemen the association being effected without, in any way, changing the effectiveness, sightliness or convenience of the tooth-brush elements. The dimensions of the handle may, in fact, remain exactly the same, if. so desired, so that, as before, the entire device may be housed in such means as the ordinary tooth-brush holder. In use as a tooth-brush, it will function exactly in the same manner, with the tongue-cleaning device defined and made a part of the combination, as if that device were not at all an element of: the combination.

Particular and a specific application of the into and moves across the tongue surface.

vention has been made by this association of the tongue-cleaning device with the usual type of tooth-brush, such, for instance, as the one which has a handle substantially oblong in crosssection, although it will be evident from the 8 further description here that application may generically be made in other relations. In the particular instance taken for illustration, on one of the broader faces of the handle, and closely adjacent the extreme end of the handle, there 10 is defined the tongue-scraping means which is capable of application directly to the tongue in effecting a positive scraping action against the tongue surface.

By the manner of construction of this tongue- 15 scraper, substantially a large area of the tongue will simultaneously be acted upon by the device. For this action, however, even though the extent ofeffect is so great, no increase in the dimensions of the handle structure itself will be 20 required. In fact, to'a degree, the handle itself may become lighter asits material content may be reduced. This removal, in such case where it is found necessary, or from such other method of changing the contouring of the handle, will 25 result in the production of an area depressed below the normal handle surface. The depression, in such case, opens upwardly and at a longitudinal side face of the handle.

At the broad face of the handle, there termi- 30 nates one of its walls, the extreme edge of that wall being sharp enough to effect the desired scraping action when that broad face is applied In spite of this formation of a sharp edge for scraping purposes, by the structure of the device, no other edge or surface of the handle may function in conjunction with the first edge to define a point. Such a pointed formation might easily cut through or otherwise injure the mucous membrane, a result which may be produced in the use of other devices where the tongue-scraping element included a flat surface, terminating in a sharp point at least at one end.

' In addition to the depressed area and its one wall having the scraping edge, a plurality of other edges, substantially paralleling the wall edge, may be arranged within the depressed area, these edges cooperating with the wall edge for effectuating the same result.

Other objects of this invention will hereinafter be set forth, or will be apparent from the description and the drawing, in which is illustrated a tooth-brush of conventional construction into which certain features of the invention have been embodied.

The invention, however, is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction or arrangement of parts, or to any particular application of such construction, or to any specific manner of use, or to any of various details thereof herein shown and described, as the same may be modified in various particulars or be applied in many varied relations without departing from .the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, the

practical embodiments herein illustrated and described merely showing some of various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied.

On the drawing, in which the same reference charactersrefer to the same parts throughout, and in which are disclosed certain embodiments:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a toothbrush, illustrating the manner in which the handle thereof may be reconstructed to embody features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a handle end constructed to embody the invention in modified form;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the view being .taken in the di'rectionof the free end of the handle;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a further modification;

Fig. 6- is a'sectional view-on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5';

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing another modification; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Better to illustrate certain elements of convenience residing both in the manufacture and the use of the invention, it is described in a specific association, its application to a conventional tooth-brush l0. Such a tooth-brush requires a handle I2, one end l4 of which may be slightly enlarged into a base l6 for the reception of brushing elements such as bristles l8, secured in the base in any well-known manner. The handle also includes a shank 20, which extends away from base I6 with which it may be formed as a single, integral unit. In the customary construction, the shank, beyond the base, is substantially uniform in its dimensions, while, for facility in manufacture, the shank may conform substantially to an oblong cross-section. The latter is not an absolute and essential element in the working of the invention; it makes more emcient certain details of its application.

Adjacent the other end 22 of the shank there is the formation which defines tongue-scraping element or device 24. The delineation of this element may be accomplished in any manner, as, for instance, at the time the materials used for the handle are shaped. Such materials may be of any particular character applicable for the manufacture of tooth-brush handles. One of the broad faces 26 of the shank, at end 22, may, by such processing, be cut away to define a depressed area 28. Preferably this area is'bounded by a wall '30, here shown as extending as a continuous unit, first inwardly from face 32 in a section 34, and then turning to define a longitudinal section 36. This last section then merges into an outwardly turned end portion or section 38 which again face 60 where they form edge 53.

leads up to and terminates at face 32.

The intersection of wall 30 and face 26, at least along longitudinal section 36, is of sharp definition, leaving a thin-line edge 40. In the other 5 sections 34 and 38, if desired, this intersection may be rounded ofi.

By the formation of the depressed area, a substantial pocket is formed beneath edge 4! for the reception of the scrapings as the element is applied for its purposes. Preferably, the amount of material left between wall 33 and end face 42 as well as side face 44 is as small as possible to leave edge 40 sharply defined and to make it 1 efficiently effective in its scraping action. In 15 order to assist edge 40 in its scraping functions, a' construction such as shown in Figs. 3 and4 may be used.

In scraping element 45, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in addition to edge 48 defined by depressing surm faces 50 below face 52, as in the case of area 28, that surface may have a plurality of projections 54 from its bottom. These projections, pressed or otherwise formed, direct edges SI substantially into the same plane as edge 48. lhch 25 edge 58 may be produced by the intersection of two upwardly extending faces 60 and $2 of its projection, one face 60 being at a sharp angle to surface 50 and directed away from wall 34 defining edge 48, and the other face 82 extending 30 substantially vertically to its intersection with In this manner, each edge 58 has its own receiving pocket 65, all of these pockets leading oil into an open area 68 at which there are no edge-forming sur- 35 faces. The pockets thus may discharge their scrapings laterally into area 63. i

For the purpose of facilitating washing of the tongue cleaner of the present invention, either of the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 may be provided with an opening extending through the depressed portion of the shank of the cleaner. Thus, referring to Figs. 5 and 6, the depressed portion 29 of the shank I3 is provided with an opening 3| extending longitudinally of the scraper edge 33. By virtue of this construction the tongue cleaner can be more readily and more thoroughly washed, and this can be conveniently accomplished by holding the cleaner in the path of a stream of water issuing from an ordinary water faucet. The construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is otherwise the same as the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but it will be understood that the tongue cleaner of the construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 may be provided with a like opening. Thus, asillustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, a longitudinally extending opening 49 is provided in the scraping element 41 adjacent the edge 5| between the latter and the projection 55, while in other respects said so element 41 is substantially like element 43.

The tongue cleaners of the present invention are capable of manufacture independently, without relation to a toothbrush, although, from the association of the two elements, there is pro- 5 vided a device functioning for the proper and complete hygiene of the mouth. In such case. the tongue-scraping device functions as a handle for the toothbrush. For efficient operation of the tongue-scraping device, it is manipulated 7o merely by pressing face 26 or face 52 against the tongue, the device then extending longitudinally of the tongue. Then the entire device, without any substantial change in its longitudinal disposition, is moved laterally, in the direction in- 15 dicated by arrows in Fig. 1. In that case, of

course, the device is shown with its active face,

turned upwardly, and, therefore, oppositely to that which it will assume when in use.

Many other changes could be effected in the particular apparatus designed, and in the methods of operation set forth, and in specific details thereof, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be defined in the claims. the specific description herein being merely to illustrate embodiments which are operative in carrying out the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new and useful is:--

1. A device for cleaning the tongue comprising, in combination, a handle element including a shank narrow substantially its entire length and approximately oblong in cross-section, the shank having a substantially fiat surface, a portion of the area of the surface, commencing immediately at a longitudinal edge of the surface, being depressed to leave a substantially vertically upstanding wall at a side of the depressed surface area removed from that edge, the depressed surface opening only at that longitudinal edge, and the wall extending substantially longitudinally of the shank, said depressedportion having a. longitudinally extending opening therethrough adiacent said upstanding wall.

2. A device for cleaning the tongue comprising. in combination, a handle element including a shank narrow substantially its entire length and approximately oblong in cross-section, the shank having a substantially fiat surface, a portion of the area of the surface, commencing immediately at a longitudinal edge of the surface, being depressed to leave a substantially vertically upstanding wall at a side of the depressed surface area removed from that edge, the depressed surface opening only at that longitudinal edge, the wall extending substantially longitudinally of the shank, and a plurality of edge-defining members within the depressed area.

3. A device for cleaning the tongue comprising, in combination, a handle element including a shank narrow substantially its entire length and approximately oblong in cross-section, the shank having a substantially fiat surface, a portion of the area of the surface, commencing immediately at a longitudinal edge of the surface, being depressed to leave a substantially vertically upstanding wall at a side of the depressed surface area removed from that edge, the depressed surface opening only at that longitudinalv edge, the wall extending substantially longitudinally of the shank, and a plurality of projections from the depressed surface, the projections defining edges within the extent of the depressed area.

4. A device for cleaning the tongue comprising,-

in combination, a handle element. including a shank approximately oblong in cross-section and having a substantially flat surface, a portion of the area of the surface, commencing immediately at a longitudinal edge of the surface, being depressed to leave a substantially vertically upstanding wall at a side of the depressed surface area removed from that edge, the depressed surface opening only at that longitudinal edge, the

wall extending substantially longitudinally of the shank, and a plurality of projections from the depressed surface, the projections defining scraper edges within the extent of the depressed area, and facing in the same direction as the upstanding wall.

5. A device for cleaning the tongue comprising, in combination, a handle element including a shank having a cross-section transversely of its 'length including a substantially fiat face, a portion of the area of the face, commencing immediately at a longitudinal edge of the face, being depressed to leave an upstanding wall at one side of the depressed face area, the wall being directed to intersect the face in a sharply defined edge, the depressed area opening only at that longitudinal edge, the wall extending substantially longitudinally of the shank, and a plurality of projections from the depressed surface, the projections defining substantially parallel scraper edges within the extent of the depressed area, the scraper edges facing in the same direction as the upstanding wall.

JEROME H. GREENBERG. 

